In the prior art it is a well known problem, what to do with used brushes when they are not being used for a certain relatively short period of time. During painting it frequently occurs that brushes and the like need to be stored, as they are used again with the same colour paint for example after lunch, the next day, or even after a few weeks. A relatively short period of time concerns a period of time which is customary during painting of an object during which a used paint brush, containing paint residue, is not used temporarily. In that case it is unduly laborious to cleanse the brushes. This is a problem for both water based- and solvent based paints.
It is well known to wrap brushes in plastic (GLAD wrap or cling foil)—or aluminium foil, to immerse in water or a solvent, to immerse in linseed oil, etc. Further examples are known of containers containing an amount of a volatile substance saturating a space being positioned above said substance. The brushes are hung in the upper space of the container so that these do not dry out.
All these methods have their accompanying disadvantages and problems and have all shown to be insufficient for adequately preserving the paint application tool containing paint residue, so that it can immediately be used again later without any intermediate cleansing step.
While cleansing brushes a substantial amount of cleansing liquid waste is formed which is frequently flushed into the sewer, as for example the brushes are rinsed clean under the tap above the sink. Both in case of water-soluble paints and in the case of solvent soluble paints this is a very environmental unfriendly and environmental polluting problem.
Wrapping in foil has shown to be insufficient in practice as drying out always occurs.
Immersion in a liquid means almost always that the liquid is absorbed in the brush. This can lead to saturation of the brush with the liquid. The liquid absorbed by the brush can only be removed with difficulty afterwards. Also by expansion of the bundle of brush hairs, the brush can be damaged such that it becomes useless. The clamping ring or other component keeping the brush hairs together can even rupture. During subsequent use it is also relatively laborious to substantially remove the liquid. The brush then has to be firmly swept dry with the accompanying contamination problem and environmental pollution.
In practice one does not seem to take it all too serious with environmental pollution. Brushes are rinsed above the sink or just swept dry outdoors.
In the prior art therefore an urgent demand exists for a suitable method for temporarily storing brushes and other paint application tools while saving the environment and whereby the paint application tool can be used again without any intermediate elaborate cleansing step.